My present invention is that of a new and distinct hybrid in the genus Aechmea which is the result of crossing a hybrid of my own origination with one of its parent species.
Over the past 25 years, I have been actively engaged in hybridizing bromeliads, using most bromeliad genera, and have produced numerous hybrids. One genus I have been most interested in for the past 10 years is the genus Aechmea. Hybridizing among the Aechmea presents a challenge. Unlike other genera, such as Vriesea and Neoregelia, most Aechmea hybrids prove sterile. Occasionally, one finds an Aechmea hybrid that is not sterile, but the only way one can determine whether a hybrid is fertile is to attempt pollination.
Approximately 10 years ago, I created a hybrid by crossing Aechmea serrata with Aechmea fasciata. This cross resulted in a plant of no special note. It grew well, but the foliage lacked any striking character and the inflorescence was small in relation to the size of the plant. Four years ago, in the course of my hybridization activities, I decided to back cross this hybrid with bot of its parent species, using the parent species as the pollen contributors. The pollinating of (Aechmea serrata.times.Aechmea fasciata) by Aechmea fasciata produced nothing. The cross was apparently sterile. However, the pollinating of (Aechmea serrata.times.Aechmea fasciata) by Aechmea serrata was successful. Pollinated some 30 times, a few seeds were produced. Of a total of 17 seeds sowed, only 9 germinated.